This is not the first time Waldo has run for bishop. In 2007 he ran for Suffragan in the Diocese of Alabama, but was beaten by the Rev. John McKee "Kee" Sloan, rector of St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Huntsville.

Research, by VOL, reveals that Waldo is a friend of New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson, whom he described as a "mentor" and a "friend". In previous clergy positions, Waldo was a curate of Grace Church in Manchester, New Hampshire. There is little doubt that he will easily obtain the necessary consents from the HOB. It is highly doubtful that if Canon Neal Michell, 56, canon to the ordinary (Dallas) the most orthodox of candidates, had won whether he would have garnered the necessary consents.

One blogger said that Waldo+ appears to have successfully bamboozled moderate folks at a recent diocesan walkabout and with his "march to the middle" ideas.

A series of sermons VOL obtained by Waldo revealed this choice line "how we as individuals and communities define the authority of scripture affects how we believe and act on the current Social Security debate, how we respond to poverty, the war in Iraq, questions around gay marriage, and within the church, how we view the ordination of my old friend and mentor, Bishop Gene Robinson."

In this single statement he counts Robinson as both friend and mentor, which should tell you volumes about how he will vote in the HOB on sexuality issues. He is also a supporter of "open communion" wherein unbaptized persons may partake of Holy Communion.

Waldo is also divorced and remarried arguing that with regard to his first wife, "that I was not as in control of my life as I thought." Really. One wonders if the Search Committee reflected on 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

On same gender relationships, he articulated a stance that might indicate he expects schism to occur and he would stand with The Episcopal Church if that happens. He said this, "I don't know how the Church will ultimately articulate-in liturgy or in canon law-the status of same-gender relationships without some division."

He is either completely disingenuous or thinks the dwindling orthodox will find it in their hearts to change their minds.

Furthermore, it is clear that on matters of doctrine, Waldo said he sees the bonds of fellowship to weigh more heavily than the boundaries of sound doctrine. He has written, "The guiding principle for such dialogue at Trinity (his present congregation) has long been that 'It is more important for us to stand or kneel together as brothers and sisters around a common table receiving the Body and Blood of Christ than it is to be 'right' on a matter of doctrine.'"

One person at the walkabout said he did not hear one word about how Waldo has successfully grown his church or helped grow his diocese. "Instead I heard about the closing of their church camp and conference center and his not doing Cursillo because he had heard it was 'divisive.'"

The Rev. Dr. George Naff Gray, Jr., a former priest in the diocese who left with his congregation to join the Anglican Mission in the Americas, blasted the diocese in an article titled "Good Friday Sufi."

"I wept for my brothers and sisters in the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina as I looked at their Lenten edition of the diocesan newspaper Crosswalk. On the cover of Crosswalk is a painting of the Grand Canyon and it concludes with a poem called 'Zero Circle' by the Muslim poet Rumi. I was saddened to see an Episcopal Diocese encouraging others with the words of the wrong 'Perfect Man'." Could the Diocese of Upper South Carolina be going Sufi? http://tinyurl.com/y9lsyd9

The diocese is also in financial free fall. There are a score or more of small congregations ready to fold if a vigorous program of evangelism is not undertaken. There is little hope of that happening under this new bishop.

It would appear that the diocese seems destined to go from Rumi the Sufi to Waldo the Clown.

---Mary Ann Mueller contributed to this story